Overdue Approval
by Lyra Mae Rose
Summary: "If my father ever comes back, do you think I'm acceptable now?" Dick turned his head so quickly, he could've broken his neck. "What?" (Based on missveryvery's, in my opinion, amazing drawing from DeviantArt.)


**Okay, so I've been really into Batman lately, mainly because of Damian Wayne (not gonna lie). And this is my very first Batman fic, so please go easy on me and I hope you don't mind any mistakes I might've made.**

 **Based on missveryvery's (in my opinion) AMAZING drawing from DeviantArt. Really, you guys should check it out!**

 **And I don't own anything here...except the laptop that I'm using to publish this, that is.**

 **Failed attempt at humor, I know. Don't mind.**

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"Aaannd, that wraps it up for tonight," Dick mumbled as he stepped out of the Batmobile and took off his Batman cowl. The man glanced at the boy who had stepped out from the other side with a smile. "Well done, Damian."

Damian rolled his eyes, taking off his mask as well. "Whatever."

"Another successful patrol, I presume?" Alfred asked as he sauntered towards the duo with a cart filled with bread.

"Indeed, Alfred," Dick smiled, placing his hand on his kid brother's shoulder. "Damian here did a wonderful job."

Damian merely scowled and brushed Dick's hand away, making the latter chuckle.

"I'm very pleased to hear that, sir. Perhaps, that calls for a special treat," Alfred stated, offering them a piece of bread each. "Would you like me to prepare some tea, Master Damian?"

"That would be appreciated, Pennyworth," Damian replied, munching down his bread. "Remember, it's-"

"Brown sugar instead of white, fresh cut lemon and a China cup," Alfred stated, the memory of Damian reciting those exact same words still fresh in the butler's mind. "Of course, Master Damian."

Damian huffed, clicking his tongue before muttering under his breath, "Smartass."

A ghost of a smirk emerged in Alfred's face before he turned towards the other man. "What about you, Master Dick?"

"Just the usual would do, Alfred," Dick answered, enjoying his bread as well.

"Very well, sir," Alfred nodded, walking back towards the entrance of the cave. "I will be back."

"We'll be waiting!" Dick waved at the butler, finishing his bread in a few bites before having another one. Dick noticed Damian shaking his head at his antics, but he ignored it.

"But really, though, Damian," Dick said, walking towards the computer to modify a few files. "Tonight, you were very good. If it wasn't for you, that thief would've gotten away."

There was no immediate reply from the boy, but Dick wasn't worried. Some nights after patrol, Damian would give him the cold shoulder due to either exhaustion or an occurrence in the field. Since the patrol had gone well in Dick's opinion, he merely assumed that his kid brother was tired.

"Grayson."

But when Damian said his name in an uncharacteristically small voice, though, it quickly set off a few alarms in Dick's head.

"Hm?"

"If my father ever comes back, do you think I'm acceptable now?"

Dick turned his head so quickly, he could've broken his neck. " _What?_ "

And then he saw his little brother with his back turned, _fidgeting_ with his fingers. "Do you think he will accept me?" Damian added, bowing his head in the slightest. "Or…love me?"

And _damn_ if that didn't break Dick's heart.

Because he knew that Damian didn't have to prove himself anymore. He didn't have to practically _bleed_ for approval. He didn't have to work so hard every single night so that he'd be accepted into the family.

Didn't Damian realize that he already _is_?

But, that wasn't the only thing that had shattered Dick's heart to a million pieces. Damian asked that question as if he had never felt _loved_ before. He'd said the word 'love' like it was _foreign_.

Not only that but Damian, a mere ten-year-old _child,_ was asking if he was _qualified_ to be loved - if he had met their standards to even receive love.

Dick clenched his teeth and balled his fist. The next time Dick sees Talia al-Ghul, he was going to tie her up and have a long _, detailed_ talk. Because that woman had raised Damian to believe that love had _standards_ and that he wasn't _qualified_ enough to receive it!

Oh, but Dick was going to prove them wrong. Because he of all people knew that if _anyone_ here deserved love, it was Damian Wayne.

And, he would make sure Damian knows it.

With the speed that would make Flash proud, Dick sat up from his chair and made his way towards Damian, easily picking him up into the air like the child had weighed nothing.

"Well, _I_ love you!" Dick exclaimed to the nonplussed Damian. "I love you _so_ much, Damian! You're the best kid in the whole world!"

As Dick watched Damian slowly grasp those words, he noticed a mix of emotions on his kid brother's face - shock, surprise, astonishment, disbelief, _awe_ and so much more. Dick inwardly grinned, he bet Damian didn't even _know_ that he was showing all of those emotions to him.

Then, Dick lowered Damian and brought him slightly closer so that they were both looking eye to eye, a mere few inches apart from each other's faces. "Do you love me too?" Dick asked with a small, giddy smile.

Dick saw Damian's eyes widen just a tiny bit with an emotion that Dick couldn't pinpoint before Damian finally stared back at Dick with his usual blank, stoic expression. "Don't be ridiculous."

Dick's smile grew and the man laughed in delight because he knew that was as close to a yes that he could get – in Damianese, that is.

Dick might not be Bruce Wayne or Talia al-Ghul, the two people that Damian had sought for approval the most, but he was still Damian's older brother. That means he would make sure Damian gets the love he _really_ deserved, for as long as he lives.

And when Dick noticed the smallest smile he had ever seen on Damian's face as he lowered the boy to the ground, Dick instantly knew that it was well worth it.

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 **So, how was it? Did I do the characters right? Let me know what you think by reviewing, please. Remember, I'm new in the fandom so take it easy! Oh, and thanks for reading :D**


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